Association of n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to −866 G/A genotypes of the human uncoupling protein 2 gene in obese children

• Published in: Acta Paediatrica Vol. 96; no. 9; pp. 1350 - 1354
• Main Authors: Bokor, Szilvia, Csernus, Katalin, Erhardt, Éva, Burus, István, Molnár, Dénes, Decsi, Tamás
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-09-2007; Blackwell
• Subjects: Arachidonic acid; Arachidonic Acid - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid; Fatty Acids, Omega-6 - genetics; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - genetics; Female; Gene Expression - genetics; General aspects; Genotype; Humans; Insulin - blood; Insulin resistance; Ion Channels - genetics; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Mitochondrial Proteins - genetics; Obesity; Obesity - genetics; Phospholipids - blood; Uncoupling Protein 2; Endocrinopathy; Human; Obesity; Pediatrics; Pancreatic hormone; Typing; Long chain; Nutrition disorder; Polyunsaturated fatty acid; Lipids; Genotype; Arachidonic acid; Insulin; γ-Linolenic acid; Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid; Target tissue resistance; Association; Uncoupling protein 2; Genetics; Insulin resistance; UCP2 gene; Child; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0803-5253; 1651-2227
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00422.x

Aim: To investigate the association of plasma fatty acids with the −866 G/A polymorphism of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in obese children.
Methods: Fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids and sterol esters were investigated in 80 obese children.
Results: Values of dihomo‐γ‐linolenic acid (C20:3n‐6) were significantly lower in children with the −866 A/A (n = 12) than in those with the −866 G/A (n = 34) or −866 G/G (n = 34) genotype in plasma phospholipids (3.01 [0.42] vs. 3.56 [1.02] vs. 3.53 [0.84], % weight/weight, median [interquartile range], p < 0.05), and were significantly lower in children with the −866 A/A genotype than in the other two groups in plasma sterol esters (0.73 [0.22] vs. 0.92 [0.23] vs. 0.94 [0.25], p < 0.05). Phospholipid C20:3n‐6 and arachidonic acid (C20:4n‐6) values showed only in children with the −866 G/G and −866 G/A genotypes significant positive correlations with plasma insulin concentrations.
Conclusions: Significantly lower values of C20:3n‐6 can be detected in obese children with the homozygous (−866 A/A) mutation of UCP2 than in equally obese children with heterozygous mutation or the normal genotype. High glucose‐stimulated insulin response is associated with high plasma C20:3n‐6 and C20:4n‐6 values only in obese children with the G allele of the −866 G/A polymorphism.